Working with teachers on inquiry based learning (IBL) and mathematics and science tasks

This paper reports on teachers’ experiences from and their evaluation of a teacher professional development event arranged in connection with the European PRIMAS project. Inquiry-based learning (IBL) and analysis of ‘appropriate’ mathematics and science tasks were the focus of this professional development programme, as these are said to increase students’ interest of and attainment levels in mathematics and science education. The data are anchored in observations and feedback/evaluations from a two-day session with a selected group of teachers, where the focus was on mathematics and science task analysis, in order to develop an awareness and knowledge of characteristics of mathematics and science tasks. Results show that during the event teachers developed a deeper understanding of task characteristics, of constraints and affordances of particular IBL tasks; and they reasoned more critically with respect to particular features and selected tasks more carefully. This, it is argued, lies at the heart of productive professional development and the enhancement of teacher knowledge in and for teaching. (DIPF/Orig.